Suryakumar Yadav> (Photo Source: Twitter)
Two years ago, Suryakumar Yadav’s transition from T20I cricket to the ODI arena ignited hopes of an exceptional performance in the upcoming World Cup to be played later this year. Initially, he showed promise, boasting two fifties in his first six innings, positioning himself as a potential No.4 backup to Shreyas Iyer in ODIs. However, two years later, with the World Cup drawing closer, the once shining prospect of India, Suryakumar, is now enshrouded in a haze of uncertainties.
Having played 17 innings since his last half-century, which marked his second in 25 appearances, Suryakumar’s form took a downturn. During this period, his average plummeted to a mere 13.43, with a total of 215 runs, and a single innings crossing the 25-run mark. Notably, he also experienced a worrisome string of three consecutive ducks earlier this year.
Despite his valiant efforts to avoid a fourth duck, his performance in the ongoing West Indies series has been lacklustre, making scores of 19 and 24 only. As the curtains fall on the World Cup auditions, Wasim Jaffer, the former India cricketer, envisions one final chance for Suryakumar in the third ODI against West Indies on Tuesday, in Trinidad.
“He will probably get one more chance, in the third ODI. And that’s probably it because KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer will return and he will find it difficult to get into the side,” Jaffer told ESPN Cricinfo.
It is his nature to take riskier options and he needs to change that: Jaffer
However, the rumoured return of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer for the Asia Cup could spell the end of his journey. Jaffer accentuates Suryakumar’s inherent inclination towards high-risk shots, which often cost him his wicket. To thrive in this format, a change in approach becomes imperative.
“The way he bats, it takes high-risk options and he looks to hit boundaries which makes him lose his wicket. It is his nature to take riskier options and he needs to change that especially in this format,” Jaffer added.
Both Iyer and Rahul grapple with injury woes, with the former plagued by a back injury since the beginning of the year, leading to his absence from the entire IPL 2023 season. Rahul, too, endured a hamstring injury during the latter half of the IPL season and currently recuperates at the NCA.